The answer is generic ....which means it can be applied to the specific circumstance.

Here is an example, as the answer to your question :

this man has 12 years experience as a board member. Would he not have the qualifications to perform the job?

Going by the example evaluation steps i provided, he would have the qualifications to perform the job , if:

• The success criteria for the position were known
• His history/skillset/experience/future prospects were likely to meet or exceed those criteria

If you want to know if he's the most qualified for the job you also need to:

• Rank all the candidates, based on how well they match to the success criteria.

and he would need to be at the top of the rankings.

If you're going to ask who does these evaluations in the specific example being talked about, it would be the voters, perhaps a final approval board as well, if one exists in these scenarios.

Outside of that example, it can vary.

I shouldn't have to but I’m going to point out that i said this is a simple quotable answer, not that it was the only answer, or even the best answer.

My argument has always been that evaluation of fitness for a role isn't impossible. Not that there is a perfect method, nor that these methods are being used competently or at all. Just that they do exist.

As for personal opinion, this guy sounds like an asshole, i personally know lots of incompetent people in positions they neither earned nor are qualified for, I’m not saying the current state of things is good, because i don't think it is.